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Topic Review (Newest First)

01-05-2014 12:25 AM

paulk

Re: Heaving-To versus Bare Poles

We went through a squall in a Chi-Mac race once under bare poles on a Pearson 37. We were going 8 knots dead downwind, and the anemometer was reading over 50 knots. I would not have wanted any sail up. They would have a/overpowered us b/been shredded and unusable afterwards. Heaving to seems to work in conditions that are more managable.

After taking seven years to leisurely complete my solo circumnavigation around the world I survived many sever storms by heaving to in my full keel Hans Christian, 38 f00t cutter. I beleive if I had continued to sail in such weather that I or my boat would have perished.

My feelings are based on my boat but if you can heave to in any boat that stays behind the the created slick I feel you will be safer than running under bare poles. The series drogue may also be an option but having never used one I'm concerned that even with a long bridle at the stern the yawing caused by following waves may cause the tow line to damage my windvane or hold the stern down at the approach of breaking waves,

I practiced heaving to on day sails long before I had the nerve to sail off on my circumnavigation. My book, Islands, Oceans and Dreams is now on Kindle and covers my thoughts on this subject.

hans c, beautiful boats...drogue I have used in a power boat and once set in a storm the force is huge and could easily rip things apart. Was an eye opener

10-02-2013 01:40 PM

TQA

Re: Heaving-To versus Bare Poles

Hove to is usually more comfortable than bare poles at least it is in my experience.

Possibly a little safer too but I have nothing to back that up.

10-02-2013 09:20 AM

zeehag

Re: Heaving-To versus Bare Poles

bfloyd and unkle toad---the first time in the nasty soup, i wasnt wearing pants..lol...just a wife beater shirt way to big--made a dress--second time i was in my sweats as it was cold....lol..
first time was a lil scary, but it didnt seem so bad when we were in it, as we were busy, until we read the noaa reports of the what it was...rodlmao--that was a lil nerve wracking... when you are out in it, it doesnt always seem as bad as it is -- sometimes it seems much much much worse.
something about lightning everywhere and not able to hear the thunder to know you are still alive and not dreaming...surfing into apalach on 6 plus foot short interval seas....hoooyaahhh....makes 20 kts seem calm.
sailing along as nice as you please then wearing a sea at 0300 ....oops....gom has some wak seas--like a norge washing machine on heavy duty wash cycle.
after gom and the close set confused seas in those nasty tboomers, sailing the rollers of pacific even in 60 kt chubasco was easy. no bad seas......

10-02-2013 03:19 AM

bfloyd4445

Re: Heaving-To versus Bare Poles

yep.
like your avatar. reminds me of that .....
cat that seems to own my farm. [I] guess the point being is you never know what needs to be done until your in it and half to do something or else.

10-02-2013 12:53 AM

Unkle Toad

Re: Heaving-To versus Bare Poles

sailing in that stuff Zee is talking about Im sure does something to the seat of your pants.

10-01-2013 10:52 PM

bfloyd4445

Re: Heaving-To versus Bare Poles

u mean you sail buy the seat of your pants??....naw...

10-01-2013 05:32 PM

zeehag

Re: Heaving-To versus Bare Poles

we sailed a seidelmann 37 sloop in gom with a sailor who bowed to the magenta line god. we hit every tboomer florida had to offer. with some, noaa reported winds to 71 kts....i thought it was work, but we were too busy to figger how much work until it was done.
what we did was continue on. rolled furler jib into a small triangle and continued onward. was not fun but we didnt have desire to sit in any 10 ft 8 second interval breaking confused seas... nasty .
when we were young and learning to sail, uncle phil would do something and say --ok we do this here, but at sea you do this other thing--he recommended heaving to, but he sailed without engines or modern stuff. we learned line squalls in hudson ríver.
seems to me when you are out in them then you find you do something different than you plan as seas are a huge consideration in weather sailing.

Spot on SailingDog!! If you get hit solidly by a breaking wave onto the top of your boat - think in terms of around 500 or so gallons of seawater at about 8 pounds per gallon, it's like dropping a Buick onto your cabin trunk.

I'm trying to soak up all you guys are saying cause I know nothing of sailing and have a desire to learn how to train a sailboat to do what I wish. Thinking about what you said above: I have been faced in powerboats with high seas especially6 at the bar and the thought of tons of water crashing on my vessel was always foremost in my mind. I remember the first time when powering into the swell the bow went completely under and I said my prayers. I was sure I was going to turn my nice searay sundancer into a submarine but not so, she just recovered nicely in time for me to prepare for the next one.
The difference here I think is that in my case by adjusting the throttle I had better control than possible with sail avoiding damage. Is that correct? Please remember I am just trying to understand having never been under sail in a storm

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